by Kailin Gow
“Somehow I doubt you’ve earned the right to call me Lux in such a familiar way, and you certainly have no right to show any pride in the way I’ve grown up.”
“I beg to differ,” he said. “And I’m sure Ida would agree with me.”
His riddles were playing with my nerves. “Ida?” I grunted with open irritation.
He came to face me and reached out to grasp my shoulders, but I quickly back away. There was something increasingly disturbing in the familiar way he’d suddenly taken with me. As cold and remote as he’d been earlier, he now showed too much interest in me.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “But I neglected to introduce myself properly. My name is John.”
“Yeah,” I snapped. “So you said.”
“John Collins.”
My breath choked me and darkness closed in, leaving me with barely a narrow tunnel of vision. I didn’t want to hear more. I didn’t want to know. My mind flew back across the Atlantic, across the United States and I was back in San Francisco, back in my parents’ house. I didn’t even want to hear the connection I could have with this man. Could this man who was going to slay two of the friends, my loves even, be related to me?
“Yes, Lux, we share the same family name, and I know that’s shocking to you. I hadn’t really expected that we would meet like this, under these unfortunate circumstances. It’s funny how you look forward to an event in your life, yet when it comes it leaves you breathless; maybe a little unsure.”
I frowned. Was he the one left breathless by our encounter, or should I be?
“To you, this encounter is the first, but I’ve known you for ages, Lux. I’ve known you all your life, if only from a distance. And though it’s been quite a while, I would have recognized you anywhere. There’s an aura, a spirit that surrounds you that’s unmistakable.”
“Could we get past this lopsided reunion and just get to the gist of it? Who are you and how do you know me?”
“Lux, I’m your father.”
I laughed; laughed so hard it startled every man in the room. My laughter, an odd sound that bordered on hysteria, echoed throughout the room and through the maze of corridors. “Right,” I finally muttered breathlessly. “My father.”
My gaze, maniacal as it felt, circled the men around me. “And who are you?” I asked Gordon. “My long lost brother.” I nodded at Markus. “Some estranged uncle?”
“Lux,” John said in a tone meant to soothe. “I know this is a bit difficult to take in, but…”
“Difficult to take in?” I said. I wanted to hurl something at him; something heavy, something blunt. “I think you’ve been watching too many movies, Mr. John Collins… too many George Lucas movies. How ‘bout we get back to reality?”
“What he says is true,” Gordon said.
“I don’t really care what you say.” I set my hands defiantly to my hips. “I don’t believe you.”
“Lux,” John said. “If you don’t believe me, let me prove it. I know you have a slight cleft on your ear; your right ear.”
My hand automatically reached for my right ear.
“The cleft is the result of your birth. You were a big and strong baby. Ida, she’s a relatively small woman. But you were determined to push through and, before the doctor could set you right, your ear dented in the birth canal.”
I stared dumbly at him, my fingers working over the little indentation at the top of my ear.
“Considering the difficult birth Ida anticipated, things turned out pretty good. After all, a little dent on the ear is nothing.”
The rush of blood to my cheeks left me hot and weak. I wanted to sit down, but didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of having beaten me down. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to be unfazed by his declaration.
Glancing at Moore, Asher and Brax I saw the shock I felt reflected in their eyes. This wasn’t exactly the revelation we’d come all the way to Italy to hear.
“Is it true, Lux?” Asher said. “Do you have a cleft? Is he your father?”
“I am,” John said before I could answer.
“If what you say is true, how did I end up with my parents?
“Under the circumstances, Ida and I thought it’d be safer for you, for everyone. I can’t say it was an easy decision to come to, but my brother, the man you’ve come to know as your father, had a stable life and a healthy relationship. Ida and I spent hours talking about it, hours trying to find the best solution and this is what we came up with.”
Shaking my head, I thought of my mother and father. They’d always been so loving. Never had they even given any indication I wasn’t completely and utterly theirs.
“I knew they would give you the safe and loving home you deserved.”
After a long hard and desperate moment of staring at him, he offered more. “As a demon slayer, my life gets dangerous. I find myself constantly in perilous situations. Surely you have an idea what I’m talking about.”
I nodded.
“As a gatekeeper those perilous situations are amplified, and with Ida a demon slayer as well, your safety would have constantly been compromised.”
“So you're saying that the people I’ve come to know as my mother and father are actually my aunt and uncle.”
“Technically… biologically yes, but I’m sure they would always want to be thought of as your parents.”
“Yes,” I said, feeling a tinge of guilt. “Of course. I’ll always think of them as my parents. They raised me and were always there for me. Even when I began to show signs of the demon slayer I was, they…”
I looked at him, saddened by this new knowledge. “Even when things got rough, all the suspensions from school, all the times we had to move all the changes that had to constantly be made… they never gave up on me. They could have easily turned their backs on me. They could have called you… and this Ida… asked you to come back and get your troublesome child.”
John smiled. “From what I’ve heard over the years every ounce of trouble you might have caused them was far outweighed by all the joy you brought to their lives. They couldn’t have children of their own. You were a blessing to them and from the very first moment we put you into your mother’s arms, they’ve loved you as though you were theirs.”
“You are a gatekeeper,” I said. Though I still didn’t understand it all, my tone softened.
“Yes,” he said. “And I have been for over thirty years.”
“Does that mean that I’m to be a gatekeeper one day? Am I to take your place the way Brax is to take that of Dr. Kingsley?”
“Ultimately, yes.”
“So you should have been training me, preparing me for gatekeeper duties,” I challenged.
“Hmmm, well… I…” He stammered and stumbled, then looked sheepishly at me. “I was planning on eventually finding you.”
“Eventually,” I echoed with sarcasm. “Did you forget where your brother lived?”
Pressing his lips together, he glanced at his cohorts.
“I’ll admit I may have been a little negligent. Demon slayers don’t often have holidays. We didn’t have too many chances to get away.”
“You could have had me sent here?”
“You have the answers to everything,” he shot back with an amused grin. “I like that. Not only did you become a beautiful young woman, but you’ve got a head on your shoulders.”
“Okay, regardless of your reasons and excuses, Brax needs to know what to do to close the portal… now. The gate was opened in San Francisco, and with that, thousands of demons have been coming through. To make matters worse, I’m losing my abilities. I have trouble seeing them and fighting them is getting impossible. And Moore is…”
“A demon, Lux,” John said. “Who would eventually bring you down if you don’t slay him now. Cut all ties, which we were trying to do for you so you can avoid doing it yourself one day,” Gordon said.
As though the sound of his name broke him from a trance, Moore lost whatever remnants of control he had. Wi
th surprising force and uncharacteristic fury, he charged Gordon. The surprise attack left Gordon on the floor and Moore then turned his attention to John.
Just within inches from grabbing John by the throat, Moore was jumped and subdued by Gordon and Markus. They each had their crucifix ready to slay.
“Asher, quick.” I shouted.
“I’m already on it.” Before I could reach them, Asher had gripped both Markus and Gordon’s wrists and twisted them away from Moore.
“This doesn’t bode well,” John said with a regrettable shake of his head. “This doesn’t bode well at all.”
“What do you expect from us?” I shouted. “We came here for your help and all you’ve given us is the threat of being slain and some ridiculous story about my history.”
“Lux,” John said. “I know I’m not your father in the true sense, but I have to tell you… You shouldn’t be in the company of such a man as Moore. No good can come of it.”
“You're right,” I said. “You're not my father in the true sense, therefore you have no right to tell me who I should and shouldn’t spend my time with.”
“As a demon slayer I believe I have not only the right, but the responsibility to tell you. The demon in him is winning and it’s just a matter of time before he strikes out at you.”
“That’s not going to happen. Should Moore ever become that uncontrollable, I’ll be ready.” I could barely look at Moore as I said that, trying to appear calm in front of the Shadow Light demon slayers. I knew in my heart as much as I try to fight it, the day I have to slay Moore would be the day I give up demon slaying.
During my mixed emotions and confrontation with John, I was vaguely aware of Asher’s movement as he walked away with Gordon. My eyes barely registered he had left the room with Gordon. For what, I wouldn’t know.
John was looking at me and I could have sworn there was pride in his eyes. “All right. Fine. We’ll do things your way. There’s really nothing I can do about it for now, so I guess I’ll just have to trust that you’ll know what to do when the time comes… and that you’ll have the strength to go through with it.”
While I helped Moore up, I looked at John. “I’ll do whatever’s right.” Although Moore was smart enough not to say anything at the moment, I felt him stiffen beside me, and I wanted to reach over to hold his hands, but stopped. If I showed any emotions toward Moore right now, John would have slain him. He seemed like the type who would not tolerate second chances and was quick to nip anything in the bud before it went further. Although he claimed he was my father, I still kept a distance from him, ready to defend Moore and Brax with my life.
A few moments later Asher rushed back into the room. “Okay. I have it.”
“Have what?” I asked.
Moore and Brax looked expectantly at him.
“I just learned how to close the portal. This in turn should subdue the demonic urges you guys feel.” He looked pointedly at Moore and Brax.
For the first time since arriving in Italy, I felt a real ray of hope. I’d begun to think there was no way of getting Moore or Brax out of their predicament. I turned to shoot a victorious grin at John and Markus, but stopped when I caught the chagrin in their eyes.
The ray of hope dimmed somewhat as I anticipated the price we were going to have to pay.
Chapter 11
Abundance of Destined Plans
Additional chairs were brought around the large table. Heavy, cumbersome and ancient, they were far from welcoming.
“Please,” Markus said as he brought a chair up behind me. “Let us all take a seat, take a breath and take a moment. We need to talk this all out.”
I glanced at Moore, knowing the suggestion would bode well with him. I couldn’t really blame him. On two occasions they’d charged him and it was easy to imagine they’d do it again.
“You guys really think we want to sit down and talk… to you?” Moore glared at our hosts with murder in his eyes then turned to Braxton. “You want to sit and talk to these clowns?”
“Moore,” I said, hoping to calm his anger. This wasn’t the time to lose his cool.
When he turned to look at me, I didn’t recognize the hard, menacing eyes that stared at me. “Are you hoping they’ll do what you’re incapable of? What you’ve been wanting to do all along? From the very first moment you met me, you’ve wanted to slay me.”
Stunned by his glare and the accusation, I fell into the chair Markus had so strategically set for me. “What are you talking about, Moore? I’m the one who stopped them from slaying you.”
His stare remained hard a long moment before finally softening. “Yeah,” he muttered in a tone on the verge of defeat and desperation. He was confused and getting worse.
I turned to Gordon and John then glanced back at Markus who still stood behind my chair. “We have to do something fast. They’re taking over him. He’s losing all control. Soon he’ll be lost to us completely.”
John’s gaze on Moore threatened to explode, but he made no move to attack Moore again.
“If we could all be seated,” Markus said. He gestured for Moore to take the seat at the other end of the table. “Maybe you’ll feel better if you put a bit of space between us.”
With a brooding grunt, Moore pulled back the chair, letting the legs scratch loudly across the stone floor. When he sat down I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Everyone took their seats.
“I had a nice chat with Asher,” Gordon said after a tense moment of silence. “I’ll admit I didn’t hold much hope for the situation you all find yourselves in when I first set eyes on you. Asher is like no other guardian, angel, or demon slayer I’ve ever known.”
“Well, if you’re hanging out with a bunch of old cronies,” Moore droned. “It can be a bit surprising to find yourself in the company of younger men.”
John and Gordon exchanged glances, but didn’t comment on Moore’s outburst
“What our fine gentleman is trying to say,” Asher threw in, “is that he severely underestimated my capabilities. It’s not the first time people have looked at me and thought I was just a useless kid.”
The anger he felt for his parents’ constant absence glistened in his eyes.
Gordon grinned tightly and gave Asher his best attempt at a paternal pat on the back. “But I’ve come to realize that he is, indeed, a fine young man with a good soul. A good young man who can do so much.”
“You don’t need to sell us how good a person Asher is. We know,” I said with a touch of testiness. Annoyed by the slow pace of the conversation, I wanted to push him to get to some answers.
“I understand, but I thought it worthwhile to share with you just how I’ve come to appreciate what lies beneath the hard exterior of this rough-looking young man. I’ve met plenty of demon slayers over the years, but I’ve rarely met a young man with the strength and wisdom he shows.”
“All right. All right. Stop it already,” Braxton said in a hollow tone. “His head is big enough as it is. Can we move on to other things?”
“I was surprised to learn,” Gordon went on. “That Asher had a Book of Angels, and even more impressed when I learned he’d almost read it through. As you may or may not know, all gatekeepers have a Book of Angels.”
“Why?” I asked. Somehow, I’d assumed the Book of Angels we’d found at Dr. Kingsley was the only one of its kind.
“Despite our years of experience, we still need help from time to time. The Book of Angels gives us guidance in moments of uncertainty. It gives us instructions in times of confusion.” He set a large Book of Angels on the table.
It looked older than the one we had and slightly thicker.
“These books have been passed on through the ages. No one is really sure just how old they are, or from where they came. All we know is that they give us the answers we need.”
“My uncle never showed any signs of being a demon slayer. Why is it that I never noticed anything?”
“That’s because he wasn’t a demon slayer. H
e never was. Your uncle was strictly a gatekeeper. The academic you knew was who he truly was, but he was never a demon slayer. Many gatekeepers aren’t, but this can sometimes put them in dangerous predicaments. As a man of refinement, your uncle frequently found himself in need of help; urgent help. Gatekeeping is never pretty. That’s where men like us came in. A demon slayer was always assigned to guard over him, to protect him… that is until something happened to him.”
“What do you mean?” Brax asked.
“Demon slayers are often killed. It’s not an easy life and we lose one from time to time. Others are simply re-assigned; sent to work in another area, for another gatekeeper.”
His words echoed in my ears as I stared at him. In just a few seconds he’d explained so many things I’d never understood; he answered so many questions that seemed to have no answer. Something had happened to the demon slayer assigned to cover Dr. Kingsley, and it had left the dean of university unprotected and vulnerable.
Surely he knew. He had to have known he was vulnerable. He’d said nothing… after all, who could he tell? But he had the power to bring me close, and he used that power. I no longer had any doubt Dr. Kingsley had put everything into place so that I could go to St. James Academy. He’d arranged for my family to move to San Francisco to begin with, and he ensured I was close by giving me access to a school I never would have been admitted to under normal circumstances.
It also explained my instant attraction to Brax. From that very first moment, our eyes had connected with a purpose, and I finally knew what that purpose was.
I glanced at Brax and remembered that very first time our eyes had met. New to San Francisco, I’d felt lost and alone. Sitting in the back of my parents’ car, it was easy to feel frustrated at having to start all over again at a new school, with new faculty, new students, new problems.
But I’d seen him, even though the car spent less than three seconds in front of Dr. Kingsley’s lavish home, I’d seen him, and in those three seconds, I’d connected; I’d known.
“We were supposed to meet,” I said to Gordon, though my eyes remained on Brax.
